Written questions by Wood.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2023 to Question 6096 on Public Appointments, what his Department's timetable is for considering whether to implement the previous Government's commitments made in the report entitled Strengthening Ethics and Integrity in Central Government, published in July 2023, CP 900.

As set out in my previous Written Answer on 22 October 2024 (PQ 6096), we are still considering whether the commitments made by the previous administration are sufficient and appropriate for meeting the Committees’ recommendations. We will provide a further update in due course.

If he will make it his policy to ensure that transparency returns from his Department include an indicative value of any hospitality received.

The Ministerial Code already requires ministers to declare the estimated value, where possible, of any hospitality received above de minimus levels. As has been the case under successive administrations, special advisers and senior officials are not required to declare the value of hospitality received.

If he will publish a list of every Arm’s Length Body that exists as of January 2025.

The Cabinet Office publishes an annual ALB Landscape Analysis around a year in arrears. The most recently published ALB Landscape Analysis was published on 17 December 2024 and is available here. The list of every Arm's Length Body that exists as of January 2025 is due to be published in 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2025 to Question 30683 on Cabinet Office: Media, how many staff are assigned to the New Media Unit; what grades they are assigned at; and whether this includes special advisers.

The New Media Unit is currently made up of departmental loans while it is in its initial phase. There are no special advisers assigned to the New Media Unit. Recruitment for its permanent structure is ongoing.

What equality, diversity and inclusion courses are provided by Civil Service Learning.

The only cross Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) course provided through the Cabinet Office’s central training contracts is Civil Service Expectations.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24253 on Cabinet Office: Equality, which diversity and inclusion (a) days and (b) weeks and (c) months were marked from July 2024 to December 2024 inclusive.

As has been the case under previous administrations, the Cabinet Office marks a range of events throughout the year. During the period from July 2024 to December 2024 inclusive, this included marking events such as Rosh Hashanah, Black History Month, National Inclusion Week, and Inter Faith Week. These events were marked through a range of means that included intranet articles, panel events, internal newsletters, and network events.

Whether his Department plans to bring forward a new official statistics order to include the Regulatory Innovation Office.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 23rd March is attached.

Whether TheCityUK has made representations to her Department on China’s classification in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.

The Home Office has engaged with a number of sectors and their representatives on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, including The City UK.Engaging with businesses and other stakeholders is a normal and important policy development.

Pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2025 to Question 22459 on Honours, if he will publish that guidance.

New guidance on ministerial involvement in the Honours System will be issued in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29029 on FCDO: Speeches, what guidance his Department has issued on whether substantive and scripted Ministerial speeches in government buildings which are not ministerial residences can include party political content where such speeches are being broadcast live using government resources.

As outlined in the Ministerial Code, Government property should not generally be used for work that is in its essential nature about constituency or party political activities. The Permanent Secretary at the FCDO has explained that the essential nature of the speech in question was not party political. In line with the Government Communication Service Propriety & Ethics guidance, party political messaging should be removed before publication on gov.uk and was in this case.

With reference to his Department's guidance entitled Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, published on 14 May 2024, whether any exemptions have been approved since 30 May 2024.

One exemption has been approved by the Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office.Details of external EDI expenditure will be reported in due course, as per the EDI Expenditure Guidance requirements.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2024 to Question 14769 on Civil Servants: Secondment, which of the recommendations from the Boardman report which have not been implemented will not be taken forward by the Cabinet Office.

The 2021 Boardman report recommended the interchange of resources between government and the private sector. We are committed to promoting the recruitment of external employees into roles in government at all levels of the Civil Service to fill critical skill gaps. A number of secondments programmes have been set up across government to bring in critical skills across a range of sectors, to include the private sector, enabling talented individuals from outside the Civil Service to contribute to the work of Government.For example, the Digital and Data profession launched the Digital Secondments Programme. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT) Expert Exchange programme brings in experts for a variety of roles, including digital, technology and AI, and GO-Science is exploring a scheme to bring greater scientific expertise into policymaking roles through STEM futures. More broadly, this government is committed to restoring honesty and integrity in public life and has already introduced a number of changes to strengthen standards across government. This includes issuing a new Ministerial Code which highlights the importance of the principles of public life, strengthening the terms of reference for the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards, and introducing a new monthly Register of Ministers’ Gifts and Hospitality. We will continue to take necessary and proportionate steps in this area.

With reference to the report entitled Greening Government Commitments April 2021 to March 2024, published on 20 February 2025, what methodologies his Department uses to (a) collect and (b) collate data on (i) TCO2e emissions on domestic flights and (ii) the distance travelled in km for international flights.

DEFRA sets these methodologies through yearly carbon indices across government, including for the Cabinet Office, in line with the Greening Government Commitments.

Pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10701 on Special Advisers: Workplace Pensions, whether special advisers have been informed of the consequences to their pensions of leaving service before two years’ of tenure in the Alpha pension scheme.

Special Advisers are provided with guidance regarding Civil Service Pension schemes during onboarding and offboarding, as well as throughout their tenure. This includes details of leaving the scheme within two years. Special Advisers are also directed to published Civil Service Pension scheme resources.

Pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21053 on Trade Union Recognition, whether there are exemptions for faith-based organisations.

There are no exemptions for faith-based organisations. That has been the case since the statutory recognition scheme was set up back in 1999.

How many (a) total and (b) full-time equivalent trade union representatives in his Department receive trade union facility time; how many trade union representatives spend over 50% of their working hours on facility time; what the cost of facility time was to his Department in the latest period for which data is available; what proportion of his Department's paybill was spent on facility time (i) since July 2024 and (ii) in the equivalent period in the 2023-24 financial year; and whether he has had discussions with trade unions on these arrangements.

The Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) provides annual data to Cabinet Office on facilities time for its employees who are Trade Union representatives. The report for 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 has not yet been published. Within the last reporting return period, 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 DBT had 16 FTEs employees who were Trade Union Representatives. Of these, zero claimed over 50% facility time. The cost of facility time was 0.01% of DBT’s pay bill. Specific Information from July 2024 is not available as this is reported on annually.

What meetings his Department has had with Lowick since 4 July 2024.

Details of Ministerial and Senior Civil Servant meetings with external organisations are published routinely on Gov.uk as part of the Government’s transparency agenda. The latest returns can be found here for Ministers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbt-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-july-to-september-2024 and here for Senior Civil Servants: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbt-senior-officials-business-expenses-hospitality-and-meetings-july-to-september-2024

How many Downing Street civil servants, excluding special advisers, were permitted to attend the 2024 Labour Party conference.

Civil servants are prohibited from attending party conferences in an official capacity, except in very exceptional circumstances when their presence may be required to carry out essential departmental business unconnected with the conference.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28652 on Ministers: Aviation, whether the details of the Air Passenger Duty paid for Ministerial travel on RAF flights are held by a public body.

The information is held by the Ministry of Defence.I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 February 2025 to Question 31166 to the hon. Member for North West Norfolk (James Wild).

Whether Downing Street special advisers have met with Quadrature since 5 July 2024.

In line with longstanding process, relevant meetings are declared in the Special Advisor transparency publications.